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Reams have been written about the Tamil Nadu government selling liquor to its thirsty “Tamizh Kudimagan” (a comic double entendre popular in Tamil films). Equal number of reams have condemned and censured the State peddling liquor. Yet the sale of liquor is high and spirited in TN …in fact it is the revenue keg. The sale of liquor a day before dry days peaks. But the newly elected Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay is now faced with electoral promises. The saying in Hindi, ‘Saamp bhi marein aur lathi bhi na toote’ (the snake should die and the stick should not break) is very appropriate here. Vijay’s first cabinet meeting had TASMAC on top of the agenda. Surprisingly Minnambalam, a Tamil digital news website had surmised earlier that the plan was to close TASMAC outlets and open bars, keeping TASMAC as the nodal procurement agency. Even as confabulations are on, the Minister for Prohibition& Excise K Vignesh talked about the viability of closure of over 720 outlets and launch of a new glitzy avatar of watering holes and bars. “The corruption and swindling by a big syndicate of Rs 3600 crore per year has been stopped. For years 88 lakh cases of liquor have been sourced from distilleries with a commission of Rs 90 per case”, says Vignesh. In the same breath he claims that there is no intention to privatise! If RK Laxman were to do a cartoon of the TASMAC ecosystem, we might laugh at the caricature of a thirsty guy pushing his way to the barred window to get his spiritual elixir, walk away cuddling the bottle with a side of pickle on a leaf. No wonder a former CM when cautioned by his advisors about lavish cash doles for women said “don’t stress. The thirsty husband will splurge that on TASMAC”. The politics of give and take.
Suryakumar Yadav had a hand in India’s back-to-back Twenty20 World Cup wins in Barbados in 2024 and Ahmedabad 2026. First, he converted a bunny hop catch to dismiss South African David Miller in the final in Barbados and two years later, he was at the helm of affairs in India. Yet, the selection committee has dropped him now from the team for the immediate Twenty20 engagements — lack of runs from his blade is the only reason the fans and others can surmise, especially so with the 2028 World Cup more than two years away in Australia and New Zealand. Yadav would have turned 38 then, and the committee felt the circumstances were right to look beyond Yadav in the shortest format of the game. Yadav was far from his best in the World Cup, scoring just 242 from nine matches. In the Asia Cup he made only 72 in seven matches. Against Australia he made only 84 in five, against South Africa 34 in four and against New Zealand 242 in five. The downhill started when he made only 26 in four matches in South Africa and 28 in five against England at home. One can say he was lucky to hold his place after the home series against England and after the Asia Cup; he was going through a rut! With Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer returning to the “good books”, Yadav had to go. Ajit Agarkar & company made Iyer captain; he lost six matches in a row as the Punjab Kings missed the playoffs bus. The selection committee may have felt that Tilak Varma is not ready yet to take up the stewardship of the Men in Blue Twenty20 team.
The humiliating defeat of Trinamool Congress in the Assembly polls is seeing the party head for a split. It has also given rise to the role and future position of 29 MPs in the Lok Sabha. Senior TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar triggered speculations when she wrote on X that “Do you think a four-time MP from a political family, who has stood beside Mamata Banerjee and fought against authoritarian systems for four decades, would think only of personal interests? This is actually a verdict against the failure of policy and governance.” Dastidar did not mention any individual or issue directly but her message was loud and clear. Dastidar, an influential figure within the Trinamool, has been a close associate of Mamata Banerjee. Until recently, she served as the party’s Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha. However, she was replaced in that role by Kalyan Banerjee, a development that many political analysts believe marked the beginning of growing distance between her and the party leadership. Subsequently, Dastidar publicly criticised political consultancy firm I-PAC, alleging that its activities had harmed the party. She later resigned from various organizational posts within the TMC. Political speculation intensified further when the Union government enhanced her security cover shortly after her resignations. According to sources, around 20 Trinamool MPs may hold a crucial meeting in the coming days. Reports suggest that a letter could subsequently be submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking changes in the parliamentary party leadership. Speculation is rife that Dastidar’s name could be proposed as an alternative to current parliamentary leader Abhishek Banerjee.
The election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council is becoming more and more intriguing with one sensational disclosure after another by rival political parties. As expected, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut lobbed the first salvo. He alleged that Rs 150 crore had been spent by the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit). It was his angry reaction to the humiliating show put out by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), of which his leader Uddhav Thackeray is a major policy maker. Raut was immediately ridiculed since Uddhav’s confidant Bal Mane had withdrawn his nomination without giving a faintest hint to his leader. Moreover, Mane has returned to the BJP, which he had left some years ago. In all, the Congress and Sena (UBT) have been finding it most embarrassing as the Mahayuti is set to win almost each of the 17 seats for which election is being held. Developments in some legislative council constituencies have made the opposition leadership speechless since those withdrawing nominations did not even bother to formally convey their decisions. In most cases, the leaders learnt from TV channels of their candidates running away from the contest. Interestingly, Raut has been challenged by the BJP to announce why he failed to field a candidate of his party from Nasik, the district of which the MP is party’s organizational in charge. Has Raut accepted money for not contesting, the BJP has asked. More skeletons are expected to tumble out of the cupboard over the next few days.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar gave his consent and NCP (Ajit) candidate for the legislative council, Vikram Kakade’s election for the upper house became a mere formality. The reason stated to be instrumental was a telephone call Vikram’s father Sanjay, former BJP MP, had made to Pawar, urging him to clear the path for his son. Although from the rival faction, Pawar graciously gave a nod. Sanjay, it is learnt, had obliged Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party nearly 15 years ago in a local election. As Pawar is blessed with an elephant’s memory, he paid back the obligation by ensuring Vikram’s election unopposed. But there is one more connection with the Pawar family and this election. Vikram had ‘advanced’ Rs.10 crore to Parth Pawar, son of deceased deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar, who is occupying the deputy CM’s post now. Vikram has clarified that the payment was against the purchase of a plot of land, which was in the name of Ajit Pawar. In faraway Vidarbha, the BJP’s candidate Arun Lakhani was elected unopposed to the upper house since Maha Vikas Aghadi failed to challenge him. A successful businessman and an ardent RSS worker, Lakhani’s son is slated to marry NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule’s daughter. The would-be couple and their parents recently called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to formally invite him for the wedding, the date for which is yet to be announced. While political party workers keep fighting on roads, no such bitter sentiment is seen in the upper echelons.
So far, Vedanta’s operations in Odisha remain completely unaffected by recent ongoing investigations, scrutiny with regard to FEMA probe, ED raid, search operations on the group’s founder Anil Agarwal after his conflict with Adani over the Jaypee deal. The Odisha state government in dealing with Anil Agarwal has kept its slate clear with regard to Vedanta’s local violations. Vedanta, it may be recalled, was penalized Rs 233.11 crore and Rs 71.16 crore for illegal water extraction and unauthorised hazardous fly ash dumping in Odisha state. Political observers say, “At the moment, Odisha government’s singular focus is ensuring Vedanta’s timely project completion of the project amidst continuous tribal complaints for encroaching on forest reserves. It may be recalled that Vedanta Group did throw a hat in the ring to acquire the debt-ridden Jaiprakash Associates. But the lenders ultimately favoured a lower bid from Adani Enterprises. Anil Agarwal tweeted about this development. This is why political analysts interpret the recent FEMA and ED probe as a veiled warning to Anil Agarwal not to cross swords with Adani Group. Vedanta Group is a global natural resources and technology conglomerate. Over the last four decades, founder-chairman Anil Agarwal transformed a small, failing scrap-metal business into one of the world’s leading diversified mining, metals, and hydrocarbons corporations.
Maharashtra’s ongoing scrutiny of beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (CM’s My Favorite Sister Scheme) reportedly identified nearly 80 lakh ineligible women who enjoyed monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 since the scheme’s launch in 2024. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ruled out recovering payouts already made to them. The government’s lenient approach towards women beneficiaries, however, will not extend to the 14,000 men who allegedly secured benefits under the women-centric welfare scheme through fraudulent declarations. Officials involved in the verification exercise indicated that these beneficiaries would face recovery proceedings and could also be exposed to criminal action. At Rs 1,500 per month, the payments made to the male beneficiaries are estimated at Rs 50 crore. Preliminary findings suggest that several applications contained discrepancies in Aadhaar-linked records, while some beneficiaries were identified as ‘male’ during KYC verification despite having submitted details portraying themselves as eligible women. The scrutiny process also reportedly uncovered over five lakh women government employees who availed the benefit despite their annual incomes exceeding the scheme’s eligibility threshold of Rs 2.5 lakh. A senior official associated with the verification drive recalled that in an earlier instance, an individual was jailed for submitting multiple applications and claiming financial assistance under government schemes despite being ineligible. Similar recommendations for recovery and punitive action are expected in cases involving deliberate misrepresentation by men. Political observers believe the decision not to recover funds from the 80 lakh ineligible women reflects both economic and electoral considerations. With rural Maharashtra continuing to experience financial stress, the government appears reluctant to reclaim benefits already disbursed, including non-deserving women, a move that...
The Congress has nominated party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party spokesperson Pawan Khera who was known for taking on Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Karnataka. The party opted to give the sole Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh to Meenakshi Natrajan. A committed no-nonsense Congress leader, she had impressed Rahul Gandhi with her simple lifestyle. Party sources said most of the Rajya Sabha picks were personally cleared by Rahul Gandhi. Former CM Digvijay Singh who retired as MP refused to seek another term and made it possible for Meenakshi Natrajan. The Congress has just three sitting MPs who are retiring and if the elections goes as per party strength, the party is likely to get seven lawmakers, provided the JMM offers the second seat which the I.N.D.I.A Bloc can win to Congress in Jharkhand. Besides, Pawan Khera, another person who handles media for the Congress, Pranav Jha is also being nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand. The party also nominated Mansoor Ali Khan, son of former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Rahman Khan from Karnataka. Meanwhile in the BJP, there was a bloodbath of sorts as incumbent Union ministers George Kurian and Ravneet Singh Bittu did not find their names in the list from Madhya Pradesh. While Bittu may still be contesting the forthcoming Punjab assembly elections, tears are not being shed for Kurian as he had lost in Kerala assembly elections. An old BJP hand, he was apparently seen as not endearing himself or the party to the community. Kurian was not liked very much by the community even though he handled minority affairs.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai may have the satisfaction of dominating national media discussions for a day about his possible exit from the BJP. However, after camping in Delhi for three days and even spending his birthday (June 4) by holding out a resignation threat, one hears he has still not put in his resignation. His media antics were not well-received in the PMO. In fact, as news channels obsessed about his meetings with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Nitin Nabin, eyebrows were raised at the highest level at the kind of level a malcontent from South was allowed to manage media coverage in Delhi. It is precisely for this reason that the former IPS officer failed to secure even a birthday wish from PM Modi or Shah. When Annamalai explained his need to float new forum to mobilise youth in Tamil Nadu, Shah told him that there was no need for it. He was told that the party would always stand with him. It is being felt Annamalai’s talk of a separate morcha to take on the TVK under Vijay could all be an idea that is being pushed probably by the DMK. The DMK needs a credible, clean face to mobilise youth against CM Vijay. It is here that Annamalai fits the bill. Annamalai had extended his stay hoping to meet with PM Modi who was tied up with the visit of Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. It is learnt the BJP did not bargain with Annamalai. A section of the RSS suggested that talks be held with him which is why Amit Shah and Nitin Nabin met with him. Meanwhile, BJP TN president Nainar Nagendran had fixed up a meeting with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Nainar’s visit to Delhi was portrayed as if he was being summoned by party bosses at Annamalai’s behest.
Contrary to speculation, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the new political party led by actor Vijay that has just come to power in Tamil Nadu, apparently is not bothered about getting a foothold in Delhi. That is why the party did not hesitate in allotting Rajya Sabha seat from TN to its coalition partner, the Congress party, ahead of the biennial elections scheduled for June 18. In a statement, the TVK announced that the seat – vacated by AIADMK leader C V Shanmugam that is set to be filled through the Rajya Sabha election has been allocated to the Congress as part of the seat-sharing arrangement. AICC Tamil Nadu In-charge Girish Chodankar had met CM Joseph Vijay earlier in the day. “I met the chief minister, and requested him that this seat should be allocated to us by them and then it will also help us in the Rajya Sabha,” he said. Chodankar feels the Congress has every reason to feel thrilled with TVK’s gesture as it will now have three Rajya Sabha MPs from the state. At present the Congress has former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Christopher Tilak (AICC secretary) who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in March 2026 with the support of the DMK. Praveen Chakravarty, a close Rahul Gandhi aide, who TN CM Vijay publicly addressed as a friend for batting for TVK-Cong alliance, will be the other PC, who is most likely to get elected from the state. “Apparently, the basis for the Congress joining the TVK Govt was the scope for improving its presence in Parliament,” says a Congress source.
Reams have been written about the Tamil Nadu government selling liquor to its thirsty “Tamizh Kudimagan” (a comic double entendre popular in Tamil films). Equal number of reams have condemned and censured the State peddling liquor. Yet the sale of liquor is high and spirited in TN …in fact it is the revenue keg. The sale of liquor a day before dry days peaks. But the newly elected Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay is now faced with electoral promises. The saying in Hindi, ‘Saamp bhi marein aur lathi bhi na toote’ (the snake should die and the stick should not break) is very appropriate here. Vijay’s first cabinet meeting had TASMAC on top of the agenda. Surprisingly Minnambalam, a Tamil digital news website had surmised earlier that the plan was to close TASMAC outlets and open bars, keeping TASMAC as the nodal procurement agency. Even as confabulations are on, the Minister for Prohibition& Excise K Vignesh talked about the viability of closure of over 720 outlets and launch of a new glitzy avatar of watering holes and bars. “The corruption and swindling by a big syndicate of Rs 3600 crore per year has been stopped. For years 88 lakh cases of liquor have been sourced from distilleries with a commission of Rs 90 per case”, says Vignesh. In the same breath he claims that there is no intention to privatise! If RK Laxman were to do a cartoon of the TASMAC ecosystem, we might laugh at the caricature of a thirsty guy pushing his way to the barred window to get his spiritual elixir, walk away cuddling the bottle with a side of pickle on a leaf. No wonder a former CM when cautioned by his advisors about lavish cash doles for women said “don’t stress. The thirsty husband will splurge that on TASMAC”. The politics of give and take.
Imagine Director Jeethu Joseph and superstar Mohanlal sharing the rarest of rare wines on a convivial evening …the Drishyam franchise. Embarking on Drishyam 3, Jeethu Joseph ekes out the last drop from this sensational, heady wine. Mohanlal, as Georgekutty has already internalised what and how he has to power this third part…the very first Drishyam shows what extraordinary heights he climbs to save his family …a naive wife and two teenage daughters from the blood lust of well-heeled youth…even as he successfully commits a crime and buries the evidence, he still copes with the guilt and fear of being caught. Lalettan carries the entire burden of his family and film on his sinewy shoulders. Drishyam 3 explores the pain and purgatory of his crime even as Georgekutty moves up the social and business ladder, still glancing over his shoulders for that potential chilling expose that could devastate his family. But in Drishyam 3, it is not the strong story roles of the cast, it is Mohanlal who carries the entire film. But what is amazing is that in just five days the film has raked in Rs 150 crore and is marching to Rs 200 crore like a lumbering freight train…54 % of this is from the overseas market, a testimony to the Malayali diaspora who yearn to watch films that feature their favourite heroes. Mohanlal does not disappoint…he propels himself as the only actor to that rare status of his three films, Thudarum, Empuraan and now Drishyam reaching the Rs 150-crore mark, and on his way to overtake Fahad Faasil’s Aavesham and Prithiraj’s AaduJeevitham. The Mohanlal franchise has many more to come as the complete actor.
Post election rout, defeats and shock outcomes quickly turn into licking the wounds’ wake, often a motivational catharsis to get back the lost power. In Tamil Nadu the DMK’s rout is particularly powerful, a body blow that could take years to mend. The DMK’s first family is adept at rising from the ropes to fight back viciously. On May 23, Udhayanidhi Stalin called a Youth Wing meeting under the guidance of his father M K Stalin, who is still recovering from his personal defeat at his pocket borough Kolathur. Udhayanidhi and his brood went hammer and tongs at the Congreve turncoats, calling them backstabbers and time servers with greed as the main propellant. Stalin recalled that “for years the DMK had carried the Congress burden on its back, but did not expect to be ditched like this with no gratitude. The greed for power without any hard work on the ground, riding on our back is a typical trait”. The father-son duo also highlighted that the three other parties that gave support, did so after taking the cue from the DMK. Udhayanidhi also spoke about his party cadres scrambling for booking tickets … air, train, bus to reach Chennai on vote counting day…but the so-called allies of the ruling party were busy booking resorts. A mere 17 lakh votes cost the DMK serious harm and body blow. The Congress, used to riding piggyback on the DMKs back for over a decade now did a lightning ditch and eased into power. Was this the ultimate Et Tu Brutus moment for Stalin?
Much stock taking, brutal analyses and self-searching has happened post election results in Tamil Nadu. Rightly so, as this electoral outcome has wrought severe personal loss to many DMK ministers, the party power considered invincible, wiped out. Most striking, the Dravidian Model of a 60-year stranglehold has been voted out to give way to new youthful energy and change. Even as the old cool veshti-clad guard hold hot tempered meets, Dr P Thiaga Rajan or PTR, the Madurai-based strong man, highly educated, work experience of US mega Corps, who never gave cash for votes was defeated by TVK’s Madhar Badhurudeen, a 10th pass. Now, PTR has authored a tell it all four pages document …his interpretation of the well-known Cultural Lag theory of American sociologist William Ogburn…society, polity and culture often lag behind fast paced technology change that society yearns to adopt and adapt. PTR warns that the extensive propaganda of DMK and others stuck to an outdated model of status quo are no longer relevant. The 2026 election was driven, inundated by Instagram reels targeted at Gen Z who literally overpowered voting elders to vote for the Tamil film superstar Vijay’s party. The bipolar era of the two Dravidian parties is over. If Vijay had garnered 15 % of the votes it was the fire alarm blaring for the two…if he weaned away25%, it would have been the last election for the existing powers …but 35% sounded the death-knell. “I was shocked by this percentage. Now we need to learn new skills. TN is fast moving into the $1 trillion economy, which not many countries can even boast about.” PTR announced a temporary break, walking away from the embers of the old reality. He has a busy schedule of overseas presentations.
Tamil Nadu’s new party in power and chief minister’s Joseph Vijay’s black dress code is much talked about. Coincidentally, Suriya’s 45th film titled Karuppu is in the news not for this colour or dress code but for several roadblocks that have made director RJ Balaji literally shed tears and producers S R Prabhu and Dream Warrior Pictures express deep concern about the film being leaked even before it’s formal release on May 14. CM Vijay even announced that two extra shows at 9 am could be screened as there was much excitement for Suriya’s screen presence after two years. Online and pre-bookings did brisk business. Imagine the sore disappointment when fans were told that Karuppu has been stalled. The usual carping that producer Prabhu had reneged on contract dues with financiers, that the KDM (key delivery message ) of Quebe Cinema had made some major mistakes …matters that defied fixing the blame on anyone. But troubles come bundled in jumbo packs …even as the team went into frenzied midnight huddles, news of Karuppu being screened in UP, Maharashtra and other markets sent shock waves …how could the film be released without its formal screening in Chennai? Was it a sabotage leak or a system failure …human error or digital outage? Director Balaji who had dedicated 32 trouble filled months in getting Karuppu with a budget of Rs 140 crore ready, broke down. A lot is riding on this film….Suriya, after the failure of Kanguva and tepid reception for Retro was hoping that Karuppu would break the jinx. Often insurmountable roadblocks are overcome by Divine grace. Even as Balaji apologised to the audience for the delay, he was optimistic about Karuppanna Sami’s compassion in rewarding those who worshipped him.
The heat and dust of the shock electoral outcome of Tamil Nadu has hardly settled. The suspense, anticipation and uncertainty of C Joseph Vijay’s bid for chief ministership has still not abated. But Vijay has already issued an official order appointing and revoking astrologer Rickey Radan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special duty in the state. At the floor test all his allies criticised Vijay for appointing his personal astrologer as OSD. Vijay realised the damage done and so he revoked the appointment. Vettrivel is an astrologer in whom Vijay reposes unconditional faith…ever since the Panditji predicted way back in 2023 that 2026 would catapult him to the top pedestal of TN. Vijay who does not repose faith in anyone easily. But once convinced he is known to follow a person faithfully. Pandit Vettrivel was Jayalalithaa’s unfailing soothsayer, guiding her through the trying court case, later he predicted her death. Vijay now follows Panditji’s every advice…from when to go to a place, what to wear and what to avoid. Even after the Karur stampede deaths, the astrologer told Vijay “Just carry on. It’s not a serious impediment. But you should beat the May 14th date for taking charge as CM”. Almost coinciding with his Asthana astrologer appointment, Udhaynidhi Stalin, the default LoP in the TN Assembly spewed out his vituperative vicious rant about Sanathana Dharma and why it should be eradicated. Even as a Congress MP Shashikant Senthil rapped the astro’s OSD post on X. After all, Badshah’s like Akbar had poets, jesters and painters.
A breaking news on SUN TV flashed the unfolding development — AIADMK ‘s C V Shanmugam is alleged to have convinced 15 of his party colleagues to follow him to a resort in Puducherry for some R& R (Rest and Recreation). They say trouble seldom comes by itself. Is Shanmugam pressurising the party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) that AIADMK must “support” Vijay, the newly elected wonder for the 11 seats he is falling short in getting a majority to claim governance in TN? The quickly called AIADMK meet at the Lloyd’s Road HQ brought together strongmen K P Munusamy, S P Velumani , C Vijaya Bhaskar and the voluble Shanmugam in confrontation mood with EPS. A media meet soon after raised the question is the party ready to give support to Vijay? Munusamy quickly denied such speculations, singing praises of the party’s illustrious leaders MGR and J Jayalalithaa, now standing tall under Edappadi. But the talk about the ginger group only got louder. So this allegation of resorting to keep away from the leadership and raise the flag of dissent appears to be true …after all every party, including the chameleon Congress is in the throes of manoeuvre and machinations to get into the TVK bandwagon at any cost. Old loyalties, party principles and public disdain are not about to stop these aspirers from throwing their hats into that magic ring of 118 MLA s of TVK, needed to claim majority in the Assembly. So much for “serving the people of TN”…principles of loyalty and party discipline rarely stop self-serving politicians.
In Tamil Nadu, the voter’s turnout was massive…a roaring phenomenon never seen before, defying psephologists, political analysts and journalists of every hue, even defiant astrologists. Whichever party is stacked and predicted as the winner, one personality is evading categorisation and classification. The Johnny-come-lately superstar Vijay who managed to cover his Christian calling artfully. Even as vote counting day nears like the apocalypse for many candidates and parties, TVK’s Vijay is the subject of reams of analyses and paralysis of who he really is. One article in a well-known Tamil digital site by Rajan Kurai Krishnan (a PhD in anthropology from Columbia University, NY) is an eye-opener. Enigma or canny pretence to political sagacity? Will the huge crowd pulling translate into a messiah has arrived? Is he fooling the people all the time or is he fooling himself about his draw? Is our politics and governance so simple that any Tom, Dick or Ramaswamy can blow a conch and anoint himself as Lord Krishna. Vijay has cleverly managed to keep off the nosey press and artsy analysts from getting him to talk seriously about his agendas. Does he think he is the second coming of MGR? The DMK and AIADMK powered by the sagacity and wisdom of leaders like Annadurai and Karunanidhi, parties that have amassed staying power are not to be easily unseated by a greenhorn. But who knows…may be TN is that litmus test to prove all logic wrong, to usher in a showman ….let the show go on, the audience is impatient.
April 20 raised the summer heat some notches higher when the teaser of Ayushmann Khurrana’s Pati Patni Aur Woh Doh was unveiled. The expectation and salivation promised to stay charged with a teaser focused on a zany comic and clandestine cat escapade. Whatever changes in the world, men straying in marital bonds and coveting parayadhan is not going to change. Khurana not only juggles one temptation, but teaches how to juggle a third one too…reminding us of the Hollywood 1967 Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale comedy Don’t Make Waves …“one in the air, one landing and a third, pending”. Prajapathi Pandey is the lucky hero who gets to romance three ladies …Sara Ali Khan, Wamika Gabbi and the delightful Rakul Preet Singh who fight like cats on a hot tin roof over him, yet want to tear him to pieces for this talent. Vijay Raaz, playing the police officer, is bound to bring the roof down with his tongue in cheek interrogation of Pandey ..“You got caught with one, the other rushed in to extricate you..the third bird, is she a friend too?” Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vishal Vashishtha play interesting characters as foils. A Mudassar Aziz directed comedy of errors, T Series and PR Studios have collaborated to bring this Zany Zappy complicated three-cornered love triangle. You will have to wait till May 15 to get lessons on how to stray even as you remain married.
The film Dacoit got mixed reviews trying its best to rise up like a stone at the bottom of a well and all but got its RIP reviews. Suddenly Dacoit has picked up speed and eyeballs…worldwide vasool is now Rs 50 crore, a jaw dropping happenstance for a film that has more swagger than substance. In fact, the title has nothing to do with the story set in a village. The antagonist and protagonist, Mrunal Thakur and Adivi Sesh filled with love revenge and blood lust, each trying to vanquish the other…none of the fearsome dacoit who terrorises. So what happened to that sinking film? Mrunal Thakur …this dimpled dazzling and quietly charming leading lady has single-handedly carried Dacoit and its sizzling gun on her shoulders, bringing viewers in by word of mouth. Mrunal , the darling of Telugu pot boilers, and the unforgettable Lakshmi of Sita Ramam (with Dulquer Salmaan ) has been trained intensely for gun handling. It is evident that she has worked hard enough to be compared with Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and Kalyani Priyadarshan who have moved into the heavy lifting class of women centric films. Mrunal still has a long way to go …she is nowhere near Phoolan Devi, the Chambal ravines terror inducing dacoit …but she has put her heart, soul and delicate persona to test in this intense drama.
DMDK’s Premallatha, wife of late film star Vijayakant, did not let the grass of grief and widowhood grow under her feet. Even during the last months of his illness and inability to appear in public, the wife just eased into the Captain’s role and efficiently took over the DMDK seamlessly …bringing Nari power and strategy to keeping the DMDK alive. Even during the Maha Shivratri Isha conclave where political heavyweights confabulated, she claimed she had come to meditate. Meditate, she did …and found the voice of “Guru”, headed straight to the DMK camp and posed with Stalin. Now firmly in the seat of power, she knows when to bow and scrape, when to use her bow and quiver. She has turned into a popular viral content. Recently at a temple, she tried to break a coconut …going at it hammer and tongs. It turned out to be a hard nut to crack…Premallatha is full of confidence about cracking alliance nuts; when Stalin mentions her name, she stands up and waves. But when Thol Thirumavalavan included her in his honours list, she nodded curtly …this too went viral. She wears gloves when campaigning …apart from being parodied as VIP in campaign mode, memes take on creative heights like the film title The Devil Wears Prada, social media have some harmless fun about her covered hands ..it could be just a sunscreen from tanning. But the widespread debate: Is Premallatha adding value to the DMK block? Or is she a celebrity by osmosis to Stalin? Even as a Nari Shakti Bill is about to be passed, women of TN have long proved that they have immense strategic Shakti.
Two films’ trailers…poles apart in setting, content and impact made history even before they hit the big screens. They are: Malayalam film, Patriot and the evergreen epic Ramayanaa in Hindi. The two legends of Malayalam films, Mammootty and Mohanlal will soon be seen in Patriot, a big budget extravaganza directed by Mahesh Narayanan. If you can conjure up Keralam events that are awaited with nail-biting anticipation every year –the Thrissur Pooram and the August Vallam Kali (boat race) – similar to the case with Patriot, expected to hit theatres on May 1. Mammootty viewed Patriot at Raagam cinema in Thrissur even as Mohanlal did at Kavitha theatre in Ernakulam. Not to miss the news that Patriot is the lead trailer of the LA Film Festival, a moment of pride to the Kerala diaspora. Other celebrities to be watched in Patriot are Nayanthara, Fahad Fasil and Kunjappan Boban who raise the star value of a certain to be hit …with Nationalism as the pivot. The other trailer that wowed the audience is Ramayana, the immortal classic that never tires those who watch it with spiritual ardour. This unveiling first look took place in LA where Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Shri Ram moved the audience with his touching introduction. A considerably slimmer and gentle Kapoor played his pivotal role to extreme perfection …the hall reverberated with Jai Shri Ram chant when he said, “Shri Ram is the conscience of a nation/”. The India showing was on Hanuman Jayanthi. The audience were speechless watching the VFX of Ravana’s Palace, Ram Sethu and the Vanara army, filmed with much devotion by Nitesh Tiwari. Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravan give gripping portrayals. It will be released this Diwali.
Nayanthara, after marriage and two kids, is still the “Queen” of female leads in Kollywood. Not just her drop dead gorgeous looks, hit Telugu film directors and producers like Dil Raju and Vamshi Paidipally bet big on her charisma and acting …Nayanthara films have rarely failed and her fans love her regal presence, dignity and talent. Any wonder that this director-producer duo (with five consecutive Telugu hits ) have signed her to play the heroine to Salman Khan? Sixty-year old Salman needs a hit, badly as it’s a long time since Bhai danced to his jubilant fans drum beats. Especially Eid releases …this year he didn’t have much to celebrate. Also his already signed work-in-progress, Battle for Galwan is facing some roadblocks and delays. It has undergone a name change to Maatrubhumi directed by Apoorva Lakhia. Sallu needs that one incendiary hit to keep him going. A South team made Jawan with Nayanthara and Shah Rukh Khan unforgettable. Chiranjeevi, not exactly mothballed but not having frequent films had her as his lead in the recent ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’, an out and out entertainer. Two decades as a heroine, Nayan is not about to settle for a “blink and she is gone” role. The story with Salman is planned to be a solid plot to showcase two great talents. Pre-production work is almost done and shooting is to commence. The producers are all geared up for 2027 Eid release. Salman Khan is sure to celebrate this Eid with warm Mubarakaan from his huge legion of fans.
It was 2019 when a Karnataka cadre cop waded into the murky waters of Tamil Nadu politics with a dream…to bring the BJP beacon to TN, to get its rightful recognition in this Dravidian stronghold, K Annamalai came in with a vision of Camelot…but today his political survival and special status in the BJP is under a big question mark. The very BJP which nurtured and applauded his strength, is ignoring him. What happened to all that mercurial charisma that made Annamalai, Modi’s favourite (remember he was perhaps the only BJP member who got a one-hour car ride with the PM when Modi drove to the Coimbatore airport). But recently, as the PM was on his way to Kerala, he stopped at Coimbatore airport where a 11-member team was waiting to receive him…BJP’s Women’s Wing leader, Vanathi Srinivasan sounded surprised that Annamalai was not there…did they know that the official list did not have his name! What a profile he had etched in TN… Annamalai was here, there and everywhere …he led padayatras, nursed his Coimbatore constituency and was the inevitable face of the BJP…but in his meteoric rise, he rose in strident speech too … making enemies of the established AIADMK and its chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. The internal warfare and jockeying were in full throttle. So when Annamalai lost the election in 2021, the AIADMK broke the BJP ties. Anticipating the need to keep the alliance going, Nainar Nagendran was made TN Chief. The BJP’s compulsion was to have a respectable presence in TN at any cost. Annamalai had to be downsized to please Edappadi. Now it is learnt BJP is making amends, TN in-charge Piyush Goyal has summoned Annamalai to party office to request him to enter the fray from a constituency of his choice. Will he? Annamalai is fired by the RSS ideology …this Knight is sure to find his place at the Round Table like Lancelot.
Tamil Nadu’s run up to this election has been quite surprising, often quite shocking …the attitude, demands and ego trips of alliance partners could have upset any other politician but chief minister MK Stalin. There is a popular Hindi song Bade Miyan To Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan Subhan Allah. Exactly how Rahul Gandhi’s whimsical demands rocked the alliance in Puducherry; he suggested that Congress could fight in the same constituencies as the alliance party, calling it a “friendly fight”. Fortunately for the party, Mallikarjun Kharge took over the seat sharing talks in TN with Stalin but insisted on taking three favoured seats, one being Velachery. In the last election DMK sacrificed this high-profile seat to Congress. The Congress candidate neglected Velachery. Stalin did not relent on this one. The tail wagging the dog took an even more comical yet irritable negotiation turn when DMDK supremo, Premalatha(wife of the late Vijayakanth ) walked in to meet the old DMK warhorse T R Baalu, for seat sharing talks. Baalu has seen many such grandstanding alliance party heads. But Premalatha’s impossible seat demands made Baalu see red. She wanted three DMK winnable seats …Vikravandi, Virugambakkam and one more. Baalu’s reference to the Rajya Sabha seat already in the DMDK bag made Premalatha see a more crimson red. “What Rajya Sabha? You can keep it …we shall resign now”. Stalin is seen as a punching bag by desperate allies, even as the DMK put on a brave front.
Tamil film’s popular hero Suriya is like a wounded lion, licking his film flop wounds in Mumbai …his mood, understandably Black. Between 2011 and now, except Jai Bhim and Surarai Pottru, he has given more flops than hits —Kaappan, Etharkkum Thunindhavan and of course Kanguva. But Suriya is not one to wilt on the ropes and whither. Why was Saturn’s ruin/reward big but no one said Saturn is malefic for Suriya? So, when the talented director R J Balaji read the script, originally intended for Vijay, Suriya jumped at this chance …Dream Warrior Pictures and producer S R Prabhu came in at the right time and Karuppu took off. The team worked the project as a fail-safe alchemy, pulling every trick in the bag to ensure Suriya fans troop into cinemas on May 14 to cheer their hero? Suriya is quietly confident about Karuppu (he plays a lawyer). The very first song, music by Sai Abhyankar, was well received. But it is said that Song # 2, a lively rocking foot tapper is sure to be a rage. It has Suriya’s trademark debonair moves but it is the singer S T Silambarasan (Simbu) in his new role as a singer, who is all set to electrify the audience. Director RJ Balaji, a radio jockey, is also acting in the film as the Devil’s Advocate. Trisha is the female lead, an actor with more than just good looks…a powerhouse of talent.
This half-sister of Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, was seen by many as the favourite of her father. Born in 1968, Kani studied in the elite Chennai school, Presentation Convent Church Park, later did her Masters in Economics from Ethiraj College, turning into a poet, journalist and astute politician by osmosis in the First Family. With all these qualifications, why has her political career become a snakes and ladders game? Currently, the MP from Thoothukudi, Kani has not been handed the true fruits of her effort. For want of trying or a more powerful force that ensures she remains the face of the DMK in Parliament, an honour she should be proud of! Calm waters run deep and Kanimozhi after several attempts to be inducted into TN politics with efforts stymied has this time decided that she must seize her own destiny. Twice meeting Stalin about her role in Delhi she unburdened her ambition to come back to her state and participate in the power paradigm of TN. It is learnt that she wants to stand from Thoothukudi for Assembly and has sounded sitting MLA to move to adjacent place. It is said by senior party watchers that Stalin side-tracked her…to talk of other matters. Obviously her return to TN would jeopardise the status of Udhayanidhi, her nephew who is already perceived as the CM. Conversely, misogynistic party oldies ask, what more does she want? Only she knows that this MP status is only a ceremonial sop. All wheeling-dealings and heavy lifting are actually done by Stalin’s son in law V Sabareesan and old timer T R Baalu who is well entrenched in Delhi politics. An occasional Tamil spat with the FM is the only optics Kani gets. Any wonder that Kani is aching to get home?
TVK supremo Vijay’s consigliere Aadav Arjun is seen to be deranged by the political rank and file, especially after his loose cannon remarks. The one baiting Thalaivar Rajinikanth has raised the hackles of all …fans especially who are waiting to be roused to rise. What did Arjun say? In an extreme attempt to schmooze and schmaltz in his role of deifying Vijay, this indiscreet party member said, “Even Rajinikanth attempted to plunge headlong into politics, aping MGR, assuming he would be worshipped by TN. But what happened? The first family of DMK threatened him. And he withdrew. But our TVK leader Vijay is a rock…cannot be threatened by anyone”. You can imagine the storm raised by this indiscreet and vicious comment especially about Rajini who is worshipped by devoted fans all over the country. Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainaar Nagendran tried to condemn Aadav’s pointless talk, with some meek, assuaging words and the challenge that Aadav should apologise to Rajinikanth. But it is the scathing repartee of journalist Mani that made a big impact. “This man is not just ignorant, but indecent…and he is not even a politician but a lottery ticket vendor. Earlier he tried to latch on to Thirumavalavan, then the DMK’s first family …now he has latched on to Vijay.” Rajini fans have protested but the DMK has brushed off the allegation like a fly. With a consigliere like Aadav who needs enemies?
Many political aspirants and Tamil Nadu party leaders are secretly coveting this extraordinary Brand status of Vijay, the leader of TVK. How lucky can a man get with such super branding, promos, press and news stature like the cine star Vijay? Of course he bungee jumped into the fray with a mind blowing fan following, star status and oodles of money and flash. Just two years into his splash down, Vijay gets to hog the press…41 people die in the Karur stampede at his first ever public meet, his overhyped and meticulously planned release Jana Nayagan, so called swan song hits the censor road block, allegations of an extramarital affair and the fury of his wife Sangeetha in her divorce plea, his two children openly cutting his name off as parent, toxic revelations about his parents distancing themselves from him, CBI summons and trips to Delhi so called pressure wooing from a national party. In fact, every facet of his public and private life is in the constant glare of publicity. Would any other politician go out on a limb and still smell of roses? Vijay does. The Kohinoor in Vijay’s crown is the happening development — V Senthil Balaji summoned to Delhi for CBI questioning. Balaji is the DMK MLA from Karur, his powerful stomping ground where the stampede killed 41 people. Vijay is alleged to have conveyed to the CBI, that though he was delayed coming to the mega meet, it was the henchmen of Balaji who sprayed a fainting agent on the crowd …the stampede, melee and deaths quickly happened.
On Friday the 13th, the residents of Poes Garden heard the deafening sound of bursting crackers, once again. Sasikala, no novice to the game of power in Tamil Nadu politics, waited patiently to get a call from any party to join their alliance. Ever since her return from the confines of Parapana Agrahara (Bengaluru jail), there was much anticipation, talk, and an almost palpable fear of this known unknown who could strategize and motivate the crowd. When no acknowledgement came, when each entity had secured their alliance seats, Sasikala did what she is best at…she has now thrown a gauntlet and challenge backed by her prep of two years. Clad in a teal green saree, she gathered the crowd and the media just a few hundred yards next to JJ’s home…a mansion just as imposing, radiating power. The name of her party Anaithu India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnettre Kazhagam…definitely a mouthful, but one can trust the media abbreviators to come up with an alphabet soup of short form. The flag had a Trishul like emblem of Anna, Puratchi Thalaivar and JJ. It was when Sasikala flashed the party election symbol, a grove of coconut trees that she opened up, let her guard down. “I don’t stand here alone …like these coconut trees, I am with a grove and hope to add many more”. Even as she spoke about her trials and tribulations, about her mentors, the tears shed freely. A careful dab with her tissue, Sasikala stood tall like Casablanca…“the boy stood on the burning deck”.
Vijay and Sangeetha’s divorce plea has broken the net along with their marriage vows.. What started off 17 years back as a wow marriage is now in the ruins of claims and counterclaims of vows, infidelity and all kinds of mud mutually thrown. Much talked about divorce was that of Vijay and Sangeetha. But not all divorce seekers are running after alimony. Take chubby and cherubic Hansika Motwani who held sway over the swarthy Tamilian heroes with her “white” complexion. In her very first movie, she took off in a flight with none other than the future deputy CM of TN …the cash registers of course jingled with the pairing. But Kollywood was not overly smitten by her fair and lovely looks. Acting wise, she could just about giggle and sway. Soon, her mother cast around for a suitable boy. In 2022 of December, she married industrialist Sohail Kathuriya. Soon, Hansika realised that they were in no way compatible. What a surprise! Her divorce petition specially mentioned she needs no alimony, even as a Bandra family court granted them the divorce. So much for twinning in red. Talk of twinning outfits…Ravi Mohan opted to walk out of 17 years of marriage to Aarti and their two sons, leaving her heart broken. Ravi Mohan walked into the Goan abode of Kenisha Francis, a singer. And guess what both were twinning in a peach outfit at an event, to serve further grist to the rumour mill. So far Kenisha has not said yes or no to Ravi Mohan, a typical stance when the intruder in a marriage has her own fears. What if? Ravi Mohan, a whiner about his personal life is now talking existential truth …in his Insta he says, “Guys say what you want, since the general perception is that it is always the woman who is wronged. Men too are victims“.
The Udaipur Palace wedding of Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna was much talked about not just for their arresting looks, but the weight, worth and workmanship of the gold bounty they wore…carved by the craftsmen of Shree Jewellers of Hyderabad who toiled for 10 months to handcraft some of the most exquisite ornaments. The couple were admired for their choice of traditional Bharathiya jewellery, not opting for modern minimalist trends. Coffee table books have made much of iconic temple art and architecture but this couple chose to translate our ancient traditions into stunning wedding ornament, setting a new trend. It is usual for the bride to be decked up in striking jewellery …the familiar “necklaces, diamonds, Nath and nose pins, the anklets and bangles. Rashmika wore 11 unique pieces, based on the Nakshi carvings of ancient temple ornaments with their unmistakable pearl like Rava granulation ..her kaasu malai, chocker, arm vanki , the vadyanam and forehead mathapatti would remain the envy of any bride . The antique dull matte finish made sure that these heirlooms were “real” not tinny gaudy ersatz. But it was Vijay Deverakonda who stood out like a sovereign monarch in his gold finery …of haaram, gold cummerbund, arm bands and ankle khadaas…boldly setting a new bridegroom fashion trend. His boldness in carrying off a heavy load of envy worth wedding finery was much appreciated. Oh yes, the wags and viewers were aware that this load of gold cost a whopping Rs 5-7 crore. Anamika Khanna’s outfits in bridal orange and groom’s milk cream silk dhoti vied with the adornments. The couple had branded the event Virosha …wagers are on…Netflix or Prime?
Sangeeta Vijay just proved that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And scorned she is…especially when she alleges that her high profile actor husband Vijay not only shares screen space with a top heroine but strays into extra marital space too. What gives credence to Sangeeta’s allegation? The super successful Tamil hit Gilli is said to have sparked the closeness of the duo –Vijay and Trisha. In her divorce petition filed in the Chengalpet Family Court, she has exposed many squirm worthy titbits, a Disneyland of Voyeuristic activity…that Vijay and his paramour used to travel together, that she put many such together-photos on social media. But a smouldering Sangeeta claims she did not like to bring it in the open during a crucial time for Vijay. And he for his part could sense the volcano would erupt anytime…so he himself suggested to Sangeeta to agree for a mutual divorce. Something triggered the fuse …The ‘Patni’ saw ‘Who’ go up in the Panaiyur Mansion lift to her Pati’s room with her pet poodle. This must have been the tilting point. Sangeeta claims her children Joseph Sanjay and Divya Sasha suffered much shame and emotional trauma. The clairvoyants and compulsive voyeurs have another take — that the DMK has instigated the wife to openly disclose Vijay’s extramarital capers. A well-educated and wealthy wife like Sangeeta does not need any such outside help. She is quite capable especially when Vijay suggested Rs 15 crore as settlement against her demand for Rs 50 crore. The election fray and front are ready to throw every shortcoming at Vijay…Karur stampede, Jana Nayagan fiasco and now Sangeeta’s public allegations are sure to make a potent lethal strike at his popularity. Is it Vijay’s Rahu Kaal (bad period)?
Even as 90% of Tamil Nadu party outfits have been issued boarding passes for the Election flight “Now Boarding” with the two major blocks, the GOP’s Rahul Gandhi and his entourage is still vacillating over his choice of alliance. The Congress has remained a DMK loyalist for years…from the days of Kalaignar when it needed just a look from Sonia Gandhi for the patriarch to assent. In all fairness Rahul is not responsible for the angry muddle that nearly broke the alliance. TN Congress is a vacuous and vainglorious block that abounds in loose cannon who stir up controversies. Manickam Tagore and Praveen Chakravarty are two such voluble members who insisted that Congress should share in power too…not just seats. This was enough to make the DMK fume and froth. Congress had to deploy two emissaries K C Venugopal and Girish Chodankar to cool the heat. An enraged Stalin is said to have given an ultimatum “we have new allies on board and are already juggling seat sharing, going as far as cutting our own quota …we need to allocate for the other new and existing allies too.” At a juncture where every party wants to squeeze the maximum from the deal, does this dithering have a reason, a fallback? It’s natural to conjecture about actor Vijay’s TVK waiting with open arms to welcome a hardline Congress. But the know all’s say …Vijay is very well aware of the pitfalls of a Congress ‘dosti’. Karur stampede and delayed Jana Nayagan are constant reminders to Vijay to stay in line. Rahul and Kharge are in a huddle mode — to capitulate or challenge?
Thiruvarur, the diamond pendant in the golden Thanjavur Delta chain has spawned many famous historical and cultural legends that endure even today. The Thiruvarur Temple chariot of Thyagaraja Swamy, the presiding deity, is the biggest and most challenging chariot. If you are a Carnatic music connoisseur, the eternal legend and musical legacy of Saint Thyagaraja evokes awe and admiration. But devotion and Hinduism also raised another ideological icon, Kalaignar Karunanidhi whose Dravidian philosophy gained unstoppable currency through his party, the DMK. His grandson Udhayanidhi Stalin, Secretary -Youth Wing is now being prepped for Tamil Nadu Assembly Election. Naturally, the incumbent CM ‘son and heir in waiting is no push over, for any other aspirant …including film rock star Vijay, the Johnny-come-lately claimant. Udhayanidhi is busy choosing the right bailiwick not that he is set to lose in a DMK stronghold. The party’s wise ones suggested Thiruvarur as the most appropriate setting for the rising son. But sometimes karma, nemesis bung their own roadblocks. Legend has it that Lord Thyagaraja of Thiruvarur can never be challenged as the religious or temporal power. Kalaignar himself won twice but could not become CM. For our readers who want to learn more about our rich culture ….Sarafoji Raja 2 , impressed by St Thyagaraja’s musical genius and undiluted love for Lord Rama wooed the poor Saint …he sent minions bearing untold wealth to bring Thyagaraja to the King’s court as his Aasthana Vidwan. Refusing all the wealth, the Saint rendered one of his most loved and popular Kritis on the spot… “Nidhi Chaala Sukhama, Ramuni Sannidhi Seva Sukhama” (I will not sing praises of a mere man for all the wealth). The emissaries retreated …just like Udhayanidhi, to choose another constituency.
Super star Rajinikanth had much to appreciate in daughter Soundarya’s February release, With Love. The film’s 10-day run proved that his delight in seeing the movie was not just paternal love. Soundarya’s Zion Films and MRP Entertainments have struck gold with this Rs 5 crore budget film; it has earned 19 crore in India, and Rs 23 crore worldwide in just 10 days. What made With Love such a heart-warming family entertainer? Remember King Cole’s unforgettable number Love is a Many Splendored Thing! This Valentine month’s offering did not have to try hard or pitch with glamour, action and steamy scenes. The debut hero, Abhishan Jeevinth is still recovering from the fame he cornered directing Tourist Family. He made a mark with love and his unknown co-star Anaswara Rajan, their quietly unfolding romance playing out to Sean Rolden’smusic…already the song Edukkuthan Intha kadhal (why this love), turning into a love anthem for the young. Debut director Madhan has literally unfolded his story like opening the fragile petals of a lotus…a blind date and how the duo discover that they vibe beautifully and turn their stranger’s status to love. Kollywood is on an innovation yet cost cutting run…make films that don’t make a pauper of the stakeholders, films that appeal to your entertainment need, yet leave a lasting impression, With Love. Has Kollywood finally found a film formula to get audiences again to cinemas? It seems so when huge budgets and dud films hurt. We hear you … .Superstar’s per film salary could make many such films …but then he is the one of a kind Rajinikanth.
India’s political landscape has seen many influential Godmen who have masterminded alliances and election outcomes. Isha Yoga presided by Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev is the current magnetic epicentre for many such influencer events. There is a belief that among all Gods in the pantheon, Lord Shiva is most easily pleased to grant wishes and bestow boons. The Shivratri celebrations at Coimbatore bring multitudes of political, filmi, intellectual and religious devotees who are drawn to Sadguru’s cool dancing and electric presence. This Shivratri had BJP’s Rajnath Singh, AIADMK’s S PVelumani, the elusive Premalatha (DMDK president), and hold your breath, Shobha Chandrasekhar, mother of Vijay converging at Isha. It is well known that Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh usually leaves party strategy to Amit Shah. But the presence of two politically significant ladies raised surmises sky high. Premalatha who had kept all guessing about her choice of alliance tried to play down her Isha attendance. Premalatha, wife of late Vijaykanth who founded DMDK, had come to mediate and seek Divine wisdom for almost three years. But it just so happened that her accommodation at Isha was in the same block as Rajnath Singh’s. Premalatha meditated and prayed to Adi Yogi and the Shiva Ling…perhaps her intense devotion gave her the inspiration …to choose the BJP alliance, a move much welcomed by all the other parties that had chosen this block. But why had Vijay’s mother sought divine inspiration and guidance at Sadguru’s ashram? Kite fliers and media Astros are saying …in case Vijay is pushed too hard, he needs a fail-safe fall back. Godmen have honed brokering skills to an art form. Maha Shivratri was spent in intense soul sharing art form one presumes.
Friday the 13th contrary to popular belief brought extraordinary luck to ration card holding women of Tamil Nadu… even as TN chief minister M K Stalin walked into the function to give the employment orders for government jobs, he seemed extremely pleased with his strategic generosity. He greeted his electorate “Today it is not just good morning to you all…it is a Super Good Morning to my sisters in TN. Your government has increased the women’s honorarium from Rs 3000 to Rs 5000.” Did people and media see him almost wink when he made the next announcement? “After jumping many obstacle hoops and challenges, I want to be CM for all…not just those who vote for the DMK. This largesse Stalin said would be increased to Rs 10,000 pm if I am voted back to power.” Stalin waxed eloquent about how TN had climbed the development charts to become the #1 state in many indices. Even as the milk sops doles were being announced, the new challenger on the block TVK’s Vijay was presiding over yet another mammoth public meet at Salem. He thundered “Whatever money is given, take from every party, blow the whistle to deafen them. Run and vote for me”! So much for dramatic campaigns and vainglorious speeches and promises. Maridas, a well-known blogger put this whole dole outpouring in perspective. Speaking about the futility of the budget deficit of TN, he said, “I am happy that the poor sisters of TN are getting this generous amount”. But at what cost? Whichever government is elected, the state deficit reality will far outweigh the gains 1.3 crore women got…wait till taxes hit you in the new government’s budget.” The men can drown their sorrows in TASMAC spirits …it is the women who have to work harder to keep the family fires burning.
Vaikom in Kerala is famous for its esoteric culture and temples. Now Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, the born blind singer has given her hometown a new and motivational identity. Her parents named her Vijayalakshmi as she was born on Vijayadashami in 1981, little realising that this girl child would never see the world. Her father, Muraleedharan made an unusual one string Veena for her and she started her melodious journey. Violin maestro the late Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, impressed by her skill, gave the title of Gayatri Veena. There was no stopping her from then onwards …crooning her way through both film songs and devotional songs. Starting with Malayalam films, she is now popular in Tamil films too, her Tamil diction and renderings near perfect. She has won several state awards. Her film songs are many and popular, launched in the film Celluloid, but her Murugan devotionals (remixes too) are celebrated, especially “Paal manakkuthu pazham manakkuthu Palani malaiyile” .One of the most significant festivals , Thai Poosam celebrated with amazing devotion and dedication in Sri Lanka , Malaysia and South India reverberates with Vijayalakshmi’ s devotionals, the crowds sway, mesmerised by her. Her aspiration is to render songs under the direction of Ilayaraja and A R Rahman. But her personal life is not fulfilling…her family is frustrated by two attempts to get her married. She filed for divorce from a misogynist husband Santosh who wanted her to stop singing and coming out in public. Her blindness put him off. Vijayalakshmi is not daunted by lack of sight …her rustic voice tinged with haunting melody (a trained masters in music) has made her own name. John Milton’s poem “On His Blindness” is appropriate…They also serve who only stand and wait.”
Tamil superstar Vijay threw his hat in the Tamil Nadu political ring, convinced that he was Moses for whom the sea would split. His party – TVKs — every move, every utterance and strategy created tidal waves. But Vijay has painted himself into a corner, a much-maligned man used and manipulated by the rag tag of TN parties and the two major outfits –DMK and AIADMK. How is he planning to extricate from this Chakravyuh? Vijay is a great entertainer and bankable actor but he underestimated the manoeuvring and manipulations of those scrambling for a perch on the big bandwagons. Take Dr Anbumani Ramadoss who has broken away from the PMK family and fold; he persisted in using Vijay as bargaining chip, till the BJP wheedled him into the NDA. TTV Dinakaran went one step further with his pressure cooker tactics…the media was peppered with snippets of how Vijay was just waiting to open his heart and party. The BJP quickly caught him in their grip with the promise of 33 seats, Rajya Sabha post and a deputy CM post. The Congress too has been twisting DMK arms –using Vijay as bait –pushing for 28 seats. Premalatha, late Vijayakanth’s wife has built up her worth by playing an unmatched trapeze artist, notching up the suspense. Old man Ramadoss for his part says why should only the old parties aspire for TN? Why can’t a young man like Vijay rise? Again these “sympathisers” are not promoting Vijay…they just want to dent the DMK vote bank and then bargain. Maybe Vijay did not foresee so many Trojans he had to counter and contend with. A popular Tamil magazine has summed it up succinctly …Vijay has launched his super market…but no customers so far.
A hiatus teaches new tricks and treats to an artist. Silambarasan too needed this makeover, badly if he had to survive in Kollywood. After huge hits Manadu, Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya and Manmadhan, a noticeable slippage took place in his performance and choice of scripts. Simbu was quick to take action…worked on his body and appearance. More important…he signed up with director Vetri Maran for Arasan, a gangster film planned to be another Vada Chennai, Vetri Maran’s Hollywood style slick action movie. At one point the announcement that Vijay Sethupathi (a Vetri Maran’s stable staple) as heft for Arasan, raised the expectation quotient of fans. But suddenly Sethupathi opted out of this Rs 500 crore project. With Anirudh providing music, and a strong script, Sethupathi won’t be missed. Simbu’s next is God of Love, a counterpoint to gangster violence and vitriol. The movie, a romantic fantasy from the AGS stable, is temporarily titled STR 51. This soft avatar and its direction by Ashwath Marimuthu has raised the stock of God of Love considerably. Fans of Marimuthu may remember Dragon and Oh My Kadavule that left a lasting impression. Archana Kalpathi from the production house is optimistic that the film’s four dances of Simbu would definitely bring back his crackling electric presence with stylish dance moves. But what raised curiosity is the news of Bollywood star Mrunal Thakur as leading lady for Simbu. Tamil mags website even flashed photos of the pair, which went missing the next day. Are you trying to connect Simbu’s pairing with Mrunal and the sizzling news of a Dhanush Mrunal wedding? Dhanush and Simbu were teen friends till he married Aishwaraya, Rajinikanth’s daughter. What’s intriguing about real life links and film casting? The God Of Love title could just be a hit or miss.
Shahrukh Khan’s King is waiting to break the box office and music systems of the young and restless…and along with King Khan’s magic, young music director, the 35-year old Anirudh Ravichander is all set for a sound blast. Having set music for Khan’s blockbuster Jawan for which Anirudh walked away with Rs 10 crore. His line-up of superstars, Shah Rukh, Rajinikanth, Allu Arjun, Nani, Vijay is the envy of many established music directors. Anirudh’s signature tunes started with ‘Why this Kolaveri’ sung by Dhanush in 2012. Anirudh is a rare challenge to maestro Ilaiyaraaja right on top of the pyramid and AR Rahman the Oscar holder for music with melodies that have endured. Once Anirudh asked ARR, “Sir which star is your inspiration…Superstar Rajini of course, he said. Anirudh from Rajinikanth’s family, grinned. With so much name and fame, this young man has not let complacence go to his head. He is popular with every production house and is an acknowledged team player. “My team is very alert…even at 50%, they want higher reaches. My instinct follows them,” AR Rahman once told him, “Ani, include more classical North Indian and South Indian ragas for longevity.” Whatever his choice of ragas or beats, he holds the unique record on Spotify for 13 billion streams by an Indian music artist. This hugely popular man is of course chased ..by female fans. His short dalliance with singer actor Andrea Jeremiah spread like wildfire. But it was not encouraged as he hails from a conservative Iyengar family. This young King of music is the perfect foil for a salt and pepper look for King Khan’s gangster film. Anirudh is ready to make the King, who has been there, seen it all, dance to his tunes.
It is not hard to decode the confident stance of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin in the run up to state assembly elections. Surprisingly, he carefully moved away from the powerful shadow of his father M Karunanidhi to find his own space, emerging as a much talked about CM who could stand his ground. It was not surprising that he used his first Assembly address of 2026 to not just pat himself and his government on the back, but also list its achievements in the face of “daunting challenges”. Stalin was candid enough to admit “when he took over in 2021, there was much trepidation, self-doubt and a sense of fear …could I make TN happy, fulfil poll promises.” The self-congratulatory tone set in fast…“I am a happy man, very satisfied and can claim that we will form government 2.0 and even overtake our success.” This motivated chest thumping had its share of diatribes too…he blamed the previous 10 years of AIADMK rule for bringing down the state in every matrix of development. Stalin’s undiluted harangue and the way he took on the Governor RN Ravi and his running feud with him, added spice. For political watchers, it was an entertaining yet disturbing, unsettling phase when the Centre and State were at loggerheads. Federalism and democratic ecosystems bore the brunt of this clash. Stalin is no doubt a driven man, sure of his ability to pluck the low hanging fruit.
The Kollywood jungle drums are sounding for a soon to be wedding. The smoke signals are strong as it concerns two celebrity stars — Rajinikant’s ex son-in-law Dhanush and the single saucy Mrunal Thakur. Dhanush and Aishwarya Rajinikanth parted ways after 18 years of marriage. Their two grown up children — Linga and Yatra — tried their best for the parent’s reconciliation. And when Dhanush built his much-touted Rs 150 crore mansion just around the corner from Rajnikanth’s media famed “Poes Garden home”, there were strong rumours that the estranged couple would reconcile. But that was not to be. The divorce was officially granted in November 2024. Dhanush has many hits in Tamil and Hindi films, even as Director he has been appreciated ..his other skills are script writing and singing. His last film Idli Kadai which he penned did good business. Now there are strong rumours about his romantic liaisons, even marriage with Hindi star Mrunal. May be the New Year and Thai Pongal have inspired him to announce that he is ready to take a second plunge with Marathi mulgi, Mrunal who has featured in successful films …Sita Ramam, Hi Nanna and Son of Sardar. Now it just needs the green signal from the two, so fans and followers can stop holding their breath and go on their way.
Tamil Nadu is experiencing a churning of this magnitude for the first time after MGR decoupled his political star with Kalaignar (his mentor and launch pad). The state was shaken, stirred and saturated with the rise of a new hope, an actor legend…a film super star pole vaulting into politics, with his unique generosity and charisma. MGR’s magic and the launch of his AIADMK, followed by the long years of dominance by his protégée J Jayalalithaa is still talked about. Shivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan tried but failed. Vijayakanth did make inroads while Rajinikanth very nearly entered it but backed off at the last moment. This is why everybody is keenly watching the entry of Vijay. He seems to have created some impact going by the huge attendance to his rallies. He has pitched himself and his party TVK as an alternative to DMK and this seems to have shaken the complacence of the DMK’s heir apparent …Udhayanidhi Stalin, another film star who basks in his entitlement. Is this jump from films to power as easy as it seems? Not really as Vijay is finding out. The Karur tragedy, roadblocks of the jittery opposition, the extreme challenges in releasing his swan song Jana Nayagan has hit hard but not shaken his confidence. His farewell film has run into trouble with Censor, then followed court cases as a resulted it will not be released during the Pongal festival. Will the late release work in his favour? Heads or tails, Vijay would have made his mark.
Tamil Nadu is on the boil over two cinematic events and the heroes involved…one aspiring to become the next chief minister, the other using his political sinews to hold on. Even as Vijay’s Jana Nayagan announced 9th January to hit cinemas and Red Giant’s distributed Parasakhti starring Sivakarthikeyan was pitched for the 10th January, a jugalbandi that many think is hopelessly one sided…pitched in Vijay’s favour. Add to that the trailer of Jana Nayagan released on 3rd January…testosterone action and rocking music filled with incendiary dialogues of Vijay; it got 20 lakh hits in just half an hour. Vijay’s character is Dalapathi Vettri Kondaan, a double meaning title which means “I am coming to stay. Not going back”. But there are some road bumps too, behind the scenes…delaying announcing booking and screens for Vijay’s film, seen as political pressure from Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant movies. There are those who insist that Jana Nayagan is commercially poised to get 60% of screens, Parasakhti a mere 40%. But, Theatre Owners Association President Thiruppur Subramanian is quick to correct this view of political pressure on the logistics of a film release. “Distributors want 75-80% of vasool. We can give only 70%…in Kerala it is only 60%… but in Coimbatore and Tirunelveli it is almost 80%”. Will Jana Nayagan win or the political Sakti of Parasakhti?.
The South’s famed and amazing temples, their lore and stunning period architecture, overflowing devotion saw yet another strong thrust when the Home Minister came on a two day visit to Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. It is well known that he combines temple visits whenever the campaign whistle stops permit. This time it was to participate in the Modi Pongal event at Tiruchi …even as Shah stirred the brim filled Pongal pot his admirers and party members wished for a vigorous stir of the political pot in the coming election, giving NDA combine the sweet taste of ‘Sakkarai Pongal’ ….redolent with rice in fresh milk, generous ghee, profusion of nuts , cardamom and the newly harvested jaggery stirred to perfection …a ritual not many miss in TN , to celebrate the plentiful harvest. After Shah‘s Srirangam Temple visit, he made a stop at the Thiruvanaikovil Jambukeswarar and Akilandeswari temple on the Northern banks of the Kaveri. This temple is unique as one of the Pancha Bhoota temples (five elements earth, water, fire, air and space…there is an underground perennial spring in which the Lingam is submerged). Shiva’s consort Parvati known as Akhilandeswari is said to have her Thadangams (outsize earrings) gifted by Aadi Sankara. But above all, devotees’ prayers here are granted. Shah just walked out of his security cordon to the lined-up crowd, greeted them, shook hands with some, adding to their happiness.
A recent Tamil film with unknown cast and a pedestrian title, Middle Class did fair business at cinemas and is now getting attention on OTT. Middle Class is about a middle-class family, their middle class aspirations and a predictable middle class life that takes an unexpected turn for the not so middle class twist …Munishkant and Vijayalakshmi, pitch their ordinary life roles dramatically, to tug at the heart strings. The film has a touching existential life lesson too…sharing and caring brings the most happiness. Soon to be released Toxic …A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups is definitely a Noire film, stylish, sexy and shadowy. A line up of femme fatales … .Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria , Huma Qureshi and Rukmini Vasanth orbiting Kannada super star Yash (of KGF fame ) ply their trade and tricks in Toxic. Directed by Geetu Mohandas bold, beautiful and boss director who has bagged significant film awards (Liar’s Dice, Akale) brings a tale of deception, betrayal and drug lord crime in the Goa of 80’s period gangster setting. Tamil cinema fans were treated to a Nayanthara still in her skin — flick ensemble …she plays Ganga in Toxic…memory dredges up another titillating title Ram Teri Ganga Maili. Toxic was filmed simultaneously in Kannada and English, dubbed in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. These are just two extreme book ends of the variety films offer …whether the viewers lap up the offering or not, the cinema machine is ready to churn the pot of gold.
It must be hard to trade places with Vikram Prabhu, Kollywood’s heir to an illustrious film family. Whatever he achieves is sure to be overshadowed by his legendary grandfather, Thespian Shivaji Ganesan and his popular father, actor Prabhu. Maybe that’s why he went off to America as a youngster to find and immerse himself in a totally new, almost alien career path. To this day, Tamil cinema has not replicated an actor of Simha kuralon (Lion’s voice) Shivaji Ganesan’s talent…every role etched in the audience memory, a complete one-man acting university. His son Prabhu never tried to fit into his father’s legacy …he just carved himself a space, popular and acclaimed, never mind the role nor his persona. Vikram Prabhu is all set for the screening of his 25th film, Sirai (prison). It’s aptly titled even as this Nepo kid has established a name for himself, but trying his best to break out of that DNA prison, and set his own Star Trek. His first film Khumki was well received in 2012. Vikram Prabhu is a low key person…not stepping out of that spotlight that made his grandfather a cinematic legend. He still remembers his grandfather bellowing across a transcontinental line “Are you still an Indian or have you turned into an American?”. Today, Kollywood has a sudden exodus of super stars like Vijay and Ajith…Kamal and Rajini finding it challenging to please Gen Z , and Suriya, Sivakarthikeyan trying to fill the void. Vikram Prabhu has the right DNA .. if only he could prise himself out of the wall he has built around himself.
The battle lines have been drawn. Even as the much-hyped anticipation is churned up for Vijay’s last film Jana Nayagan to hit cinemas on January 9, avant garde director Sudha Kongara and Dawn Pictures have cantered in from behind to release Parasakthi on January 10, originally planned to be a Pongal screening. Vijay fans, now turned TVK party followers are fretting and fuming over this sudden change. Is Sivakarthikeyan throwing his gauntlet in the popularity ring? As it is, fans and fierce loyalists of Vijay drum beat about no suitable successor to fill his slot. But Sivakarthikeyan is super confident about moving into any slot. Kongara is canny enough to buy insurance …just in case. A very novel and creative promo event was staged at Valluvar Kottam, Chennai’s not-to-be missed Dravida symbol tourist spot. Sudha Kongara’s team built a full exhibition of Parasakthi sets, props and visuals that took fans on a Time Travel into the 1960s retro world of Parasakthi. The response from the public was overwhelming. Kongara said emotionally “For Gen Z it was a time machine that transported them to an entirely different cultural ethos of the 60s”. The antiquated train and the vintage Chevrolet were super draws, with AI providing thrill experiences to the visitor. But wait… is the old iconic Parasakthi film (a watershed joint venture of Shivaji Ganesan as hero and Kalaignar Karunanidhi as the script writer) being challenged by this new yet old Parasakthi?
Even a Kollywood super hero takes his vulnerability seriously. TVK chief Vijay’s mega meeting on September 27 at Karur where 41 people died in the stampede must be rankling him. Vijay just pulled the drawbridge across his Panaiyur residential moat, and stayed unavailable, licking his wounds and fearing the worst for his fledgling party. But TN being TN, politics and the election run up are unfolding at a furious pace. Vijay too broke his slumber and planned yet another mega meet…this time in Erode. This time he wasn’t taking any chances. The venue had 40 CCTV cameras, 24 ambulances, 70 doctors on call, supported by 120 nurses, 200 water tanks, with canned water at every point, 3 fire engines and 60 acres as a parking area. Former AIADMK heavyweight points man, AS Sengottaiyan turned Vijay’s GPS and capo di, took over to run the mega event. Having been a confidante of late MGR and JJ, Sengottaiyan is a veteran of political manoeuvring and masterful optics. Is he testing Sengottaiyan’s organisational skills? Even as Vijay was ready to preside over the sea of followers, a bike gang driving rashly crashed headlong …fortunately no loss. The adrenaline run cinema gang escaped with injuries. Vijay, with his confidence boosted, is planning the next meet. Gathering huge crowds is impressive but can this pole-vault him to the top?
On December 8, the Temple Town of Kancheepuram was steeped in Hindu devotion and VIP arrival. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s wife Durga visited the temple. Dressed in a beautiful Kanjivaram mustard yellow saree, her long hair braided and adorned with Jasmine, she carried herself with much grace …quietly presiding over her role as the First Lady. The initial Camel Pooja …not seen as a droll dromedary today, then the temple Elephant worship with coconut, sugarcane and bananas. Then on to worship at the Manimandapam of the Kanchi Seer, Maha Periyavar where she prayed, transfixed. A Golden Chariot made of 23 kg of gold had its inaugural run in the precincts of the Ekambareswarar temple in her presence. Of course, the wagging tongues had much to talk about …that a minister close to the First Family had influenced the renovated temple’s Kumbabishekam to coincide with Durga Stalin’s visit. Others floated yet another angle …with elections just around the corner was she compensating for her husband and son’s open defiance of Sanatha Dharma. One wonders …is Durga a strong First Lady who has her own faith and religious beliefs? Or is Stalin the tolerant power centre who allows his wife to practice her faith? Or is it a third dimension…Stalin and son Udhayanidhi trumpet their rejection of Hinduism with an eye on the Dravida vote bank, even as Durga takes her role as mitigator seriously? There is a saying in Hindi “Hathi ke dant khane ke aur, dikhane ke aur”. Translated it means hypocritical people who appear one way but act differently. Will this double optic strategy bring the DMK back to power in 2026?
At the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa, the audience stood up for this 74-year old legend as he accepted ‘The Lifetime Achievement Award’ not with filmi flamboyance, but remarkable humility and palpable sincerity “I love cinema and acting. How quickly 50 years have passed…for me it seems like 15 years…in every Janam I take I want to be born as Rajinikanth ” His only other competitor is Amitabh Bachchan. But the similarity of incomparable lifetime fame and name ends there…AB was born in high society, parents acclaimed artists. Rajini and the much-recounted story of a Bengaluru bus conductor and his meteoric, stylish and remarkable zoom to the very top of fame and fortune is a lore oft-repeated. His legion of fans who swoon over his every action and every movie stand as testimony that he is no accidental superstar. But his humility and simplicity remain unparalleled. His neighbors see him every day as he takes his morning walks on Raghava Veera Avenue …headphones on, tuft and fringe of white hair around a bald pate, in non-flashy attire. Just an elderly person on his walking routine .put him in front of the camera, glam make up, slick wig etc…lights, camera, action…a high voltage super energetic 40 something swashbuckler leaps and lunges at his enemies…an electrifying hero whose style hits you …was this man a bus conductor who hypnotized millions and still remains a heartthrob? Superstar Rajini has achieved phenomenal fame…yet his unchanged humility makes him Thalaiva.
In Tamil Nadu, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief Seeman is well known for his hot speeches and hasty utterances; a politician who fires salvoes and then thinks about anger management. By any Tamil political standard Seeman is a colourful, cacophonic and clamorous personality. Just a few days back, addressing a press meet in Puducherry, he lost his cool and lambasted a journalist who asked about SIR…even threatened physical harm. Seeman and his two chelas were charged under three sections. His anger and attitude are not surprising especially after an alleged meeting he had with actor Vijay in his Panaiyur mansion. This was the time Seeman was welcomed as a master strategist and alliance partner. Vijay had done the math for the firepower — the Congress, TVK and NTK. So insiders of TVK were surprised to see Seeman walk into the gilded environs of Vijay’s Antilia , ostensibly for a three hour pow wow on the alliance. At the close of this, Vijay is said to have offered to personally drop Seeman home in his car. En route Vijay is said to have asked him, “Anna, what do you think of bringing the Congress into our fold? Vijay was totally shaken by Seeman’s anger and vitriolic response. “This party is totally responsible for the genocide of Tamil Eelam brothers. We must annihilate this party in the same way” Seeman’s hot blooded reaction threw Vijay off his cool …quickly taking a U turn, he drove back home. Alliances and strategies are crucial at this stage for Vijay , especially after the Karur disaster, and Vijay is surely not wanting to ally with leaders and parties that choose indiscriminate paths.
T Sathishkumar started as a simple Dhoodwala in Erode. Expanded to procuring 8 lakh litres from 70,000 farmers …a business he could sustain for long, as India had reached top spot as the world’s top milk producer, powered by the White Revolution and Verghese Kurien’s panavision dream for Anand and Amul. Today, Milky Mist Dairy (MMD) procures milk from 20 districts of TN and has every derivative product from milk – paneer, cheese, curd, flavoured yogurt, milk shakes, ghee, butter, payasam and shrikhand. MMD’s mozzarella cheese making plant is the biggest in the country, boasting a robotic line of production and crucial in the supply chain of the fast food industry. MMD’s paneer is a marketer’s dream journey…a few years back, paneer was not so popular in South cuisine. Now Milky Mist has won aggressively challenging Amul, Mother Dairy, Nandini, Gowardhan and some regional brands. Before the advent of Milky Mist, AAVIN TN’s flagship dairy brand had kept much of the market in its grip. The way retailers were coaxed to stock Milky Mist paneer is a case study for business schools. The same business spirit of adventurous strategy is now evident in the introduction of Milky Mist SKYR, a protein-led traditional Icelandic recipe that wants to lead the fitness market with a unique protein product …easy to consume straight out of the cup to those in search of muscle and strength. All these are reflected in its impressive financials. It has grown from Rs 1,015 crore in FY22 to Rs 1,437 crore in FY23 to Rs 2,349 crore in FY25. Now, the company is getting ready for an IPO at an expected valuation of Rs 20,000 crore
After much speculation and expectation from ardent fans, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth announced a collaboration, after 40 years. The 173rd film of Rajini to be made under the Raj Kamal banner and Red Giant distribution. Was this the ultimate treat for adoring fans? It soon became the ultimate combo when Sundar C, Khushboo’s husband and hit director was announced as the third angle of this fusion. Things fell into place as smoothly as apple pie and cinnamon. Suddenly Sundar announced that he was quitting the project, with a dramatic communication that ran the gamut of polite language and sincere apologies, a communication clearly meant to convey his veiled, diplomatic unhappiness with the events that transpired. The film which was announced as a 2027 Pongal celebration, has now garnered much speculation and buzz as to what could have transpired. Did Sundar expect more remuneration? What was his grouse? Was the screenplay and story being tinkered with and tampered by the two veteran artists? Kollywood ears and eyes have pieced together a run of events high on surmise and low on veracity, yet compelling enough to accept…after all a Director does not storm out without strong reason. It seems Sundar was given a one liner to be fleshed out as the story by Kamal. The serial versions had Sundar’s trademark ghost theme which Kamal was not happy with. Next it was Rajini’s turn to reject the story outright, a serious ego clash. Sundar made all the right noises when taking on two titans. Now Kollywood is humming with the buzz of who would be the replacement. Good publicity even before the film is made.
The crescendo of applause for Season 4 of Sony Liv ‘Maharani’ series is still reverberating. How did a complex political drama, set in the BIMARU list headed by Bihar cast a magnetic spell on viewers? Most would say it is Huma Qureshi’s smash hit performance. Rightfully so …rarely does India’s political ethos provide the backdrop for a woman to seize power, hold on to it and keep her family brood together …though her husband was murdered and she is framed as the killer. Suddenly you find the Bihar political setting powerfully manipulated and riveting ..just when you think you have decoded Maharani as Rabri Devi, Lalu Yadav’s proxy CM and expect the venality of Bihar politics, it’s continuous state of corruption, caste wars and criminalised politics , the plot takes several twists and turns. Indian cinema has definitely produced a brilliant series that mirrors our politics and politicians, the greed for power and almost vampire-like blood thirst. Is our realpolitik this shockingly complex and convoluted? The answer is a resounding yes…in fact the makers have truly succeeded in throwing the audience off the scent of real-life persons. The political and power hunger jousting and fencing is a treat to those immersed in the drama of politics. True to the title, Huma Qureshi straddles the series like a Maharani, tall, statuesque, compelling, dignified, yet so relatable to a Bihari housewife. Any wonder that women outnumbered men in the just concluded election? Maharani is their role model … she challenges every effort to box her into a stereotype “gharelu” woman. Subhash Kapoor! The open-ended Season 4 definitely raises hopes for yet another season. Following her total devastation after losing her son Jai and the bid for PM post, will Maharani rise like a Phoenix and avenge her tormentors?
For serious cinema aficionados, new Tamil releases provide much grist for their passion mill…off beat themes and brilliant execution, new directors and experimental cast, those who climb to stardom fast. The just released film ‘Others’ is one such medico socio psychological thriller which would have garnered praise by itself but heroine Gauri Kishen and her strident response to RS Karthik, well known YouTuber, self-anointed “hero of questions” took it viral, very fast. A double whammy for the film. Karthik was gracing the promo event of Others, themed on Male, Female and Others. Did the boldness and audacity of Others trigger his body shaming query? He asked the Director Abin Hariharan and hero Adithya Madhavan, “What is the weight of Gauri Kishen, who is lifted by the hero in the film?”. Both tried to ignore this rude query, but when the journalist persisted, Gauri took him on “what are you going to do with my weight information? How are you concerned? When Karthik persisted with his justification that heroines like Khushboo and Sarita had responded to such personal questions, Gauri put him in his place, boldly, unashamed. The viral tide of support for her has made him apologise for his insensitivity. Strangely enough, Gauri who plays a crucial doctor’s role in Others, deep down empathised with the theme …we Indians have turned judgemental and crass in taking misogyny to extreme levels …a woman has to be svelte, slim and slender for the male beholder. Thin, Normal and Fat …a woman categorised into shapes that judge their very being with Beauty Queens setting impossible templates.
The angst, fear and insecurity of a Sri Lankan illegal immigrant family and their touching journey of acceptance by the locals is starkly and strikingly told by director Abhishan Jeevinth in Tourist Family, a runaway Tamil hit of 2025. This Rs 7 crore budget movie which raked in Rs 100 crore, now enjoying its OTT showing is surely a case study for cinematic treatment ….how an everyday event (go to Mandapam, Rameshwaram and watch the fear-ridden ephemeral no man’s land of Sri Lankan immigrants) is turned into a humanitarian story of love, laughter, fear and living in shadows. Tourist Family owes its hit status as much to its director Jeevinth as it does to its cast led by Sasi Kumar, Simran, their kids and a lovable dog, free of anxieties of an immigrant. Jeevinth is already on to his next venture. Oh, and his extraordinary success gave him another milestone …He married his 6th grade sweetheart Akila Ilangovan in a grand wedding at Poes Garden. Jeevinth proposed to her even as he was on stage for the promos of Tourist Family. He chose October to bring Akila into his family, taking a cue from Sasi Kumar and Simran’s love chemistry that holds up the hope that they will not remain tourists, permanently.
Tamil Nadu is so typical in many ways…cinema and stars, “fanatic fans, cinemaholics” are part of the culture. Rajini, Kamal and Vijay have mind boggling fan clubs. What if we tell you that police sniffer dogs in Coimbatore too have “fan clubs”and crooks are familiar with their names, to tease the police even as they indulge in prank calls and hoax threats with criminal intent? Just as the police move two steps ahead in crime patrol, these fringe elements lead by four steps with outsmarting strategies. Recently, a bomb threat call in Coimbatore rattled the keepers of law and order …but the hoaxers had boned up on the names of the canines and threw the gauntlet…we have planted a bomb. Better bring Wilma or Madhana to “fetch” the bombs. Wilma, a German Shepherd and the Belgian Shepherd Madhana were the first to be assigned to female handlers and trainers –Kavipriya and Bhavani. In 2023, Bhavani requested the top brass to let her take on as a dog handler, and these two women have cared for and trained their charges like their own children. The pranksters boldly name these sniffer dogs in the “fake” threats, to give a sense of authenticity to their threat calls. But the police are inventive …the commands barked at the canines are obeyed instantly …and this famous Doberman Pinscher who walks on his hinds backward (as elegantly as a Gucci ramp model) is waiting for that command…go get him. To have fun with rowdies. Police dogs don’t roll over for all, to be petted.
Malayalam films have set benchmarks in many dimensions of cinema…simple yet complex stories (contradiction?), slick editing, chilling suspense and above all gripping unravelling of a credible plot at budget spends. The English subtitles have further boosted their allure to audiences, weary and wary of boy meets girl stories, families fighting over wealth, incredible plots and huge budgets. People like Dulquer Salmaan are fully conscious of the boredom and ennui of run-of-the-mill films. So Dulquer eases into the change brigade. His Wayfarer Films is now enjoying the record-breaking success of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra which had a dream run in cinemas, grossing Rs 300 crore…it set the trend for a film superheroine, a novel status. Heroine Kalyani Priyadarshan is still savouring the fantasy theme. It is learnt that Wayfarer Films already has the sequel to Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra almost ready to hit cinemas; even as Lokah 1 breezes into OTT. But there is a big change ….Tovino Thomas is the superhero playing Chathan Kutti in Lokah Chapter 2. Dulquer appears in the sequel too as the Odiyan Ninja. Malayalam cinema is reinventing itself like Rowling’s Harry Potter series …Ministry of Magic, a universe where good and evil fight, ghouls, goblins, house elves, wizards, witches, Yakshis who transport you to the world of ancient magic. Cinema as an art form is transforming itself from a “golden era” of diverse content to new wave entertainment of bold themes. The success of Bahubali and Kantara have definitely opened up audience appeal to folklore and fantasy.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Short Post Is Here To Stay…
Time, they say, flies—and how true that is. Here we are celebrating our 5th Anniversary. Five years ago, when Covid-19 was wreaking havoc across the globe, I took a leap of faith and launched Short Post, India’s first website for Authentic Gossip. That was on January 31, 2021. I was convinced there was a clear gap in the market for gossip that was credible, sharp, and impactful—especially if told in just 250 words.
In this, I was fortunate. Scores of senior editors across diverse verticals bought into the idea and, in the process, gave wings to my dream. Quite honestly, Short Post could not have crossed these milestones without the unflinching support of its contributing editors. Like all start-ups, we have seen our share of ups and downs, but these editors have stood by us like a rock. I take this opportunity to doff my hat to them.
Thanks to their commitment, we have published close to 5,000 stories spanning politics, business, entertainment, and sports. I say this with pride: we made our mark as people who matter read us. “Small packs, big impact” truly captures the essence of Short Post.
We all know that Covid-19 has reset businesses worldwide, and the media sector is no exception. In the post-Covid era, investors have become more cautious and selective—and advertisers too. To compound matters, the entry of AI has disrupted the media landscape in equal measure. So far, we have managed to hold our ground, hopeful that some angel investors will take a shine to us.
What gives me confidence is this: AI cannot smell news—especially the gossipy kind. In other words, AI cannot churn out Short Post-type stories, no matter the prompt. That puts us in a safe zone. As someone rightly said, “AI is a co-pilot, not a pilot.”